Château Palmer 2004 - Margaux

Château Palmer 2004 - Margaux

Presentation of the domain:

Château Palmer is located in the Margaux appellation in Médoc. Classified "only" a third growth in 1855, it has been regularly considered one of the best wines of the region for decades.

Unusually in the Médoc, Palmer's wines often contain as much Merlot as Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (with a small amount of Petit Verdot), which helps give the wine a fleshy and generous structure. It can be drunk young, but will also reward long aging.

Vineyards and winemaking

The Palmer vineyard extends over 55 hectares in the former commune of Cantenac. Its terroir is mainly composed of fine gravel. The vines are planted densely, as is usual in this region, to ensure competition between the vines, reduce vigor and encourage a deeper root system.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats and different plots are vinified separately to give winegrowers greater control over blending. The great wine is aged for around 21 months in barrels, with up to 60% new barrels.

The 2004 vintage at Palmer: 

Unlike the previous 2 vintages, the weather in 2004 was ideal without any excesses. Nothing disturbed the vines’ normal growth cycle. Summer started after a slightly rainy month of June. Even flowering with no shot berries was followed by moderate summer temperatures that slowed and lengthened the ripening process. The grapes developed slowly and evenly, ripening perfectly thanks to dry, sunny weather in September that also made it possible to wait patiently until each plot reached its peak. The grapes fermented gently for an average of 21 days. In certain cases, the emphasis was placed on extraction early in the vatting period to express all the fruit and richness of the grapes, while in other cases, long skin contact was preferred to enhance the wine’s power. Compared to the 2003s, the 2004 vintage is more classically Bordeaux, offering a magnificent combination of all the elegance and finesse of our terroir with the richness and power of a very great year.

WUAT's note: Have you ever noticed that the label is blue or black depending on the brightness? This is quite normal to avoid illegal reproductions.